LABOUR AND THE CAUCUS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 122, 19 November 1935, Page 10

LABOUR AND THE CAUCUS

(To thd Editor.)

Sir, —Recently Mr. W. Appleton, In a speech as a candidate for Parliamentary honours, stated that he would not support Labour as the party was controlled by a caucus at the Trades Hall; tl.at statement was obviously incorrect, as no "aucus of the Trade Union movement exists in this country. It is interesting to note the difference in opinion on the Trade Union movement between Mr. Appleton and the Prime Minister of England; "Mr. S. Baldwin. The latter in a speech last month at Bournemouth, England, stated: "Trade Unionism, like friendly societies, is a peculiarly English growth. This country is the native soil in which such democratic institutions are indigenous. They are an in-tegr-1 part of the country's life, and they are a great stabilising influence." He asked anyone with a knowledge of industry to try to imagine what industry would be like today if there were no unio. There would be absolute chaos, and chaos which would lead to disaster. We have here the opinion of one who has a considerable knowledge of industry in a very large way, and one whose knowledge is somewhat limited. One who has no fear of the Trade Union movement doing injury to its country, whilst the other tries to create a fear in the minds of the electors with something which does not exist—l am, etc., F. CORNWELL, Secretary, Trades and Labour Council.